Figure molding garment



FIGURE MOLDING GARMENT Sept. 17, 1935. WIPPERMAN 2,014,545

FIGURE MOLDI NG GARMENT Filed March 27, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 j ATTORNEY Sept. 17, 1935. H. WIPPERMAN FIGURE MOLDING GARMENT Filed March 2'7, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ///1 0564/70 lV/PPEAWA/V BY v,

A'ITORNEY rality of elastic sections which are so related as' Patented Sept. 17, 1935 PATENT OFFICE FIGURE MOLDING GARMENT Hildegard Wipperman, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The H. W. Gossard Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application March 27, 1934, Serial No. 717,614

6 Claims.

This invention relates to figure molding garments for women and has for an object to provide a simple form-fitting garment adapted to mold the figure with perfect comfort and freedom of movement to the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a light-weight foundation garment having a pluregards their position and direction of stretch as to give the proper flexible support to the body in any position assumed by the wearer, thereby eliminating the trouble and discomfort frequently caused by the use of lacings, buttons, etc., and further giving the figure a smooth non-bulging line which affords a proper foundation for outer garments.

The invention is applicable to any suitable type of girdle, corset, combined corset and brassire, or other foundation garment adapted to confine and support the body. In any such case the invention resides in constructing the garment of various elastic and inelastic sections in such a way as to produce a gradual blending of different tensional forces resulting in a common symmetry of action which enables the garment to support and mold the figure while permitting it to bend in any direction without discomfort to the wearer. My improved construction and arrangement of elastic and inelastic sections in a garment also enables the garment to be drawn on and off without being pulled out of shape, thereby preserving the symmetry of the garment and materially prolonging its life.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are front and rear views, respectively, of a corset embodying the invention;

Figs. 3 and 4 are front and rear views showing a modified corset construction; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are front and rear views of a combination corset and brassiere embodying the invention.

The girdle shown in Figs. 1 and. 2 comprises an inelastic front section I, longitudinal side elastic sections 2 and 3 extending from top to bottom of the garment, and a rear section having an upper elastic portion 4 and a lower inelastic portion 5 which meet adjacent the hip line. The upper and lower edges of the garment are bound with elastic tapes 6 and l, and garter straps 8 are stitched to the lower edge in any suitable manner.

Front section I is made of inelastic material in order to give it rigidity and to mold the figure accordingly. stiffening means comprising short light stays 9 may be embodied in the upper portion of front section I to increase the flattening effect across the front. All bending at the front of the body is in an inward direction, there being no need to allow section I to stretch outwardly. 5 Hence, by exerting the proper circumferential pull on the vertical edges of front section I, said section will be held firmly against the body and will confine and support the body in any position the wearer may assume.

Longitudinal side sections 2 and 3 are made of any suitable knitted, woven or other elastic material adapted to stretch horizontally or circumferentially of the body but incapable of stretching in a vertical direction. This circumferential l5 tension, which is indicated by the arrows in Figs.

1 and 2, molds the hips and holds front and rear sections l and 5 in against the body while permitting the garment to adjust itself to ordinary body movements. The upper rear elastic section 20 4 may be cut from the same material as side sections 2 and 3, but is preferably woven and inserted on the bias so that its original line of stretch is in a diagonal direction as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, thereby permitting said 25 section 4 to stretchin two directions. This special construction of section 4 allows the upper portion of the garment to stretch the required distance when drawing the garment on and off, and further assists in holding the upper edge of the garment snugly against the body as well as providing a, vertical component of stretch which prevents the garment from sliding out of place when the wearer bends over or assumes a sitting position. v

Elastic fabrics are obtainable on the market with various degrees of one or two-way stretch. The fabric comprising side sections 2 and 3 preferably has a short, snappy stretch and quick contraction in a circumferential direction for the purpose of confining and molding the body, hence additional elasticity is necessary to permit the garment to be drawn on and off without difllculty. If rear section 4 were made to stretch solely in a circumferential direction, like side sections 2 and 3, it would either increase the total stretch to a point where the garment would pull out of shape and fail to provide proper control or else it would not provide sufficlent stretch to enable the garment to be drawn on and off with ease. The two-way stretch of my rear section 4 largely overcomes this difficulty, being a vertically stretchable section as well as one which stretches circumferentially. Section 4 aids in flattening the back and holding the upper edge 6 snugly against the body without elongatingsection 4 substantially in a circumferential direction while at the same time providing sufiicient vertical stretch to follow bending movements of the body.

The modified garment shown in Figs. 3 and 4 has an upper front section I II composed of inelastic material and a lower front section I I made of elastic material adapted to stretch horizontally but incapable of stretching in a vertical direction. Longitudinal side elastic sections I2 and I3 are similar to sections 2 and 3 of Figs. 1 and 2 except that one side of the garment is open and provided with fastening means such as hooks and eyes I4 extending from the top of the garment to a point adjacent the hip line. This construction is desirable especially in garments having a small waist line and large hip line or for any figure with large hips as it prevents undue stretching of the upper portion in drawing the garment on and off, and in some cases the fastening members may extend from top to bottom at any desired place. The upper rear section I5 is preferably of woven one or two way stretch material similar to bias section 4 of Figs. 1 and 2. The lower rear section I6, however, is composed of elastic material adapted to stretch in a vertical direction and incapable of stretching horizontally. This vertical stretch enables section I6 to follow or accommodate itself to movements of the body when the wearer bends over or assumes a sitting position. Section I6 may be cut from the same fabric as the other elastic sections and, in combination with section I5, provides a gradual distribution of elasticity at the back of the garment which prevents the garment from sliding out of place.

The cooperating relation between the various elastic and inelastic sections in Figs. 3 and 4 is such as to produce a common symmetry of action which enables the garment to mold the figure without discomfort to the wearer. Section I I is in eii'ect a continuation of sections I2 and I3, these elastic sections providing the circumferential tension required to mold the hips and, in conjunction with inelastic section III, firmly confining and supporting the body and preventing outward bulges. Side sections I2 and I3 likewise tension sections I5 and I8 across the back and thus complete the smooth symmetry of the figure. Section II stretches in all directions except perpendicularly of the arrows and thereby provides a gradual take-up which blends and distributes the horizontal tension of sections I2 and I3 and the vertical tension of section I6, holding the entire rear portion snugly against the body in any position of the wearer.

The combination garment of Figs. 5 and 6 comprises a brassiere II of soft inelastic material secured to the upper edges of front section I9, side sections 23 and 2I and triangular inserts 22 which extend downwardly from the lower edge of the brassiere to points adjacent the waist line. Front section II is composed of inelastic material, while side sections and 2| are made of elastic material adapted to stretch circumferentially but not vertically of the garment. Triangular inserts 22 are also of elastic material, preferably woven, but are cut and inserted on the bias, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5, permitting said inserts to stretch vertically and circumferentially. The rear panel comprises upper elastic section 23, similar to section 4, having a biased line of stretch, an elongated intermediate elastic section 24 adapted to stretch only in a vertical direction, and a lower elastic section 25, similar to section 4,

having a biased line of stretch, the line of stretch of each part being indicated by the arrows in Fig. 6. In the embodiment disclosed, the garment has an opening at one side extending from the top to a point below the waist line and provided with 5 fastening means such as hooks and eyes 26.

Shoulder straps 21 are connected to the upper edge of the brassiere and to the back of the garment, while garter straps are connected to the lower edge in any suitable manner. 10

Triangular elastic inserts 22 similar to section 4 distribute tension over the lower edge of brassiere I8 on opposite sides of the bust line, which, in combination with the circumferential'tension of side section 20 and 2| on said inserts 22, fits the lower edge of the brassire snugly against the body while providing sufficient flexibility in all directions for ordinary body movements and for ease in breathing, the upper edge of the brassiere being held snugly in place by the circumferential 20 tension of side sections 20 and 2I on the brassiere ends. The elastic inserts 22 also distribute tension over the entire upper portion of front section I 9 covering the diaphragm, producing the proper flattening effect in this region. These inserts also take up most of the strains exerted on the upper portion of the garment in drawing it on and off and prevent the garment from being pulled out of shape. Rear section 24 stretches freely with the figure in bending, sitting, etc., while upper and lower sections 23 and 25 aid in adjusting the back of the garment to such bending movements without sliding out of place. These sections 23 and 25 also enable the garment to be drawn on and off without undue strain and cooperate with adjacent sections 20, 2I and 24 to hold the garment tight around the bottom.

In all forms of the invention the various elastic and inelastic sections are preferably turned in at their meeting edges and the lines of stitching 0 covered by elastic tape or overseaming in any suitable manner, giving the garment a smooth outer surface which blends with the figure and provides a proper foundation for outer garments.

Various changes may be made in the foregoing 5 details of construction without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A figure molding foundation garment for women having an inelastic front section, longitudinal side elastic sections adapted to stretch circumferentially of the garment for tensioning said front section, and a rear section connected to said side sections, the upper portion of said rear section being composed of elastic material having an original one-way stretch only and being inserted on the bias enabling it to stretch vertically and circumferentially.

2. A figure molding foundation garment for 50 women having a front section at least the upper portion of which is inelastic, longitudinal side elastic sections stretchable only in a circumferential direction for tensioning said front section,

a lower rear section composed of elastic material stretchable only in a vertical direction in accordance with bending movements of the body, and an upper rear section composed of elastic material having an original one-way stretch only and being inserted on the bias enabling it to stretch vertically and circumferentially.

3. A figure molding foundation garment for women comprising a combined corset and brassiere, said corset having an inelastic front section connected to the central lower edge of said bras siere, elastic inserts connected to the upper side edges of said front section and to the lower edge of said brassiere on opposite sides of the bust line, said elastic inserts having an original oneway stretch and being inserted on the bias to enable it to stretch in various directions to tension the lower edge of said brassiere and the upper portion of said frontvsection covering the diaphragm, and means for exerting a circumferential tension on the outer edges of said front section and said elastic inserts.

4. A figure molding foundation garment for women comprising a combined corset and brassiere, said corset having an inelastic front section connected to the central lower edge of said brassire, elastic inserts connected to the upper side edges of said front section and to the lower edge of said brassiere on opposite sides of the bust line, said elastic inserts having an original one-way stretch and being inserted on the bias to enable it to stretch in various directions to tension the lower edge of said brassiere and the upper portion of said front section covering the diaphragm, I circumferentially stretchable side elastic sections connected'to said front section and to said elastic inserts and the respective ends of said brassire, and a rear section connected to said side sections, the upper portion of said rear section being composed of elastic material having an original one -way stretch and being inserted on the bias enabling it to stretch in various directions.

5. A figure'molding foundation garment for women comprising a combined corset and brassiere, said corset having an inelastic front section connected to the central lower edge of said brassiere, elastic inserts connected to the upper side edges of said front section and to the lower edge of said brassiere on opposite sides of the bust line, said elastic inserts having an original oneway stretch and being inserted on the bias to 5 enable it to stretch in various directions to tension the lower edge of said brassiere and the upper portion of said front section covering the diaphragm, circumferentially stretchable side elastic sections connected to said front section and to said elastic inserts and the respective ends of said 'brassiere, upper and lower rear sections connected to said side sections and composed of elastic material having an original one-way stretch and being inserted on the bias enabling it to stretch in various directions, and an elongated intermediate rear section connected to said side sections and to said upper and lower rear sections and composed of elastic material stretchable only in a vertical direction in accordance with bending movements of the body.

' the body, and an upper rear section composed of elastic material having an original one-way stretch only and being inserted on the bias enabling it to stretch vertically and circumferentially.

HILDEGARD WIPPERMAN. 

